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Daniel Wilkie Melvin

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Daniel Wilkie Melvin ( – 29 July 1916) was an auctioneer in the early days of Adelaide, South Australia.

History

Melvin was a son of Rev. David Melvin, (died before 1861)[1] chaplain of Tolbooth Prison and Edinburgh City Mission.[2] and Wilhelmina Melvin (c. 1800 – 8 July 1872).[3] He was educated in Edinburgh, and emigrated to South Australia in 1852, two and a half years after his mother, brother and three sisters, who left Leith in June 1850[4] aboard the barque Young England.

1850 The barque Young England Isabella and William Melvin? 1853 Cleopatra 1854 The steamer Havilah Mrs Melvin and son from Melbourne

Living at Oakbank in 1851[1]

He worked as sub-editor of the South Australian Register for over nine years

He established his auctioneering business

He built Melvin Chambers

Church

Flinders-street Baptist Church was founded on 5 August 1861, with two of his sisters, Mrs Whiting and Mrs Beeby, among the 25 foundation members, and Melvin joined in December the same year. He was closely involved with church activities and served as lay preacher to various congregations. In April 1864 he left for Moonta, returning May 1867. In 1882 he transferred to the North Adelaide church.


He was the doyen of the general auctioneers, of Adelaide, if not of the State. He wielded the hammer in King William street for about 34 years prior to 1909, when he sold the balance of his lease of the Adelaide Central Mart to Messrs. Megaw & Hogg, and transferred his business to Victoria square. He began his work on the site of the present United Service Hotel, where he purchased the tenancy of the late Mr. Emanuel Cohen, upon resigning the position of sub-editor of The Register, which he had held for more than nine years. Shortly afterwards he built Melvin Chambers, where he traded until seven years ago. He paid £680 at auction for the lease, and spent nearly £5,000 in building; the ground rent alone in 30 years amounted to £16,000, the rates and taxes to several thousands, and the owners of the fee simple were in 1909 the proprietors of the structure. Mr. Melvin was a keen student. He was an enthusiastic chess player, and in that respect was closely associated with the late Mr. A. Charlick, who also died last week. Mr. Melvin was born in Edinburgh in 1838, and arrived in Adelaide when 14 years of age. After having been in the drapery business for some years he launched out in partnership with a brother and sister in that line at Oakbank, and later at Moonta. At the last named place he was a prominent worker in establishing the Baptist Church, and in Adelaide he was on various commit-tees in connection with that denomination. He was also a member of the council of the Caledonian Society.


Melvin died at his residence, Unley Park, on Saturday, July 29[5]

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By the death of Mr. D. W. Melvin, which occurred at his residence, Unley Park on July 29, South Australia, has lost a widely known and highly esteemed citizen. For half a century he was a familiar figure in the main business thoroughfares of Adelaide, and he was always greatly respected in city circles as a man of unswerving rectitude. Although during recent years he lived a life of comparative retirement, he is still well remembered as a man of remarkable activity and one who deeply interested himself in religious and philanthropic work. For a time he was employed in the drapery business by Messrs. Goode Brothers. Subsequently he was with the late Mr. James Whiting, Mrs. Whiting being his sister. Later on he was a partner in a store keepers' and wheat-buying business at Oak-bank. After a time spent in Adelaide, Moonta attracted his energies, and for a while he was engaged in storekeeping in the prosperous mining town, where he took a deep interest in public matters and in the general prosperity of the district. He was postmaster and registrar of births, deaths, and marriages, and wag largely instrumental in establishing the Baptist Church there and did much to promote the interests of the literary society. A period of several years ensued in which he devoted himself to journalism in Adelaide. As an auctioneer in which capacity he is best re-membered, he gained a wide reputation, and the buildings known by his name in King William-street were erected in 1876. During the land boom in the mid eighties Mr. Melvin lost heavily, but he honorably met all his liabilities. He was at one time a member of the council and executive com-mittee of the National League, and also a member of the council of the Caledonian Society. He was a student, and even when engaged in strenuous business pursuits, he found time to spend with his books, a lover of which he remained until failing sight made reading practically impossible to him. He was also an enthusiastic chess player in his younger days. Mr. Melvin was three times married, and leaves a widow, four sons and three daughters.

The first Mrs Melvin

We regret to have to record the death of Mrs. D. W. Melvin, of Lower Mitcham, after a short but very severe illness, on January 1. Mrs. Melvin, who will he missed by hundreds of friends, was born at Noarlunga in 1853, her parents having arrived in the colony in 1839. Nearly all her life she had lived in or in the vicinity of Adelaide, and her unostentatious kindliness had endeared her to many. She was for a long time a member of the Flinders Street and afterwards of the North Adelaide Baptist churches, and_ was on the' committee of the missionary and Zenana societies. Mr. Melvin has in his bereavement received many expressions of sincere condolence, both verbally and by letter, and amongst others from the Y.W.C.A. and the Zenana committee. Mrs. Melvin's remains were interred at the West Terrace cemetery, when the service was conducted by the .Hevs. J. G. Raws and C. Bright. Besides relatives there were a large numbers of friends assembled, including the Revs. H. T. Burgess, R. Woolcoclt, S. Fairey, G. Hogben, R. McCullough, and R. iL Finlayson, the Hon. J. G. Jenkins, M.P., Lady Colton, Messrs. A. Macdonald, A. W. Sandford, and _ J. Wyles, representing the Caledonian Society, Messrs. A. S. Neill, M. Burgess, C. H. Goode, W. H. Wadey, G. Wilcox, J. C. Phillips, H. J. Pudney, T. Evans, C. Rogers, J. M. Dowie, J. S. Scott, J. "A. Sando, J. Crocker, M. H. Madge, W. J. Coote, G. A. Wyld, R. Dempster, W. Page, W. Hall, F. W. Pilley, F. J. Cropper, G. Conquest, and A. Baker.[6]


Family

Melvin was three times married: Sarah Grace Lambell on 26 November 1861[1]; Caroline in 1879; and Mary Ann Eliza in 1905. He had five sons (Messrs. R. C., Harry, C., Herbert, and M. Melvin) and two daughters.

  • Wilkie Melvin (1863– )
  • Richard Lambell Melvin (1865– )
  • John Beely Melvin (1866– )
  • Henry Edward Melvin (1868– )
  • Charles Melvin (1870– )
  • Frank Melvin (1871– )
  • Wilhelmina Carswell Melvin (1880– )
  • Malcolm Melvin (1882– )
  • Kate Muriel Melvin (1884– )

Melvin had a sister, Mrs Isabella Melvin Whiting (12 November 1826[7] – ), which occurred at the Queen Mary Hospital at Hyde Park on Friday, April 9, has removed one of the most notable old colonists in the State. She came to South Australia from Scotland 65 years ago at the age of 21, with her mother, two brothers, and two sisters, and soon after arrival married Mr. James Whiting. All her life she has been an enthusiast in philanthropic and temperance work in South Australia. On the formation of the Women's Christian Temperance Union by Mrs. Leavitt, a world's missioner, who visited South Australia in 1889, Mrs. Whiting became one of the first members. For many years afterwards she held various positions on the executive, including that of President and Treasurer. She was also State Superintendent of Mothers' Unions for some years. In 1881, she, with 24 of their original members, formed the Baptist Church in Flinders street, and, until illness supervened, she was a. constant attendant at all services, and a teacher at the Sunday, school.. For nearly half a century she was a deaconess, of the church. She enjoyed excellent health until recently, when she was attacked by a severe illness, but made a remarkable recovery. Mrs. Whiting had a family of nine children, including Mrs. E. S. Hughes, of Adelaide, Mr. C. M. Whiting, of Victoria, Mr J. B. Whiting (Secretary to the Agent General in London), and Mr C. D. Whiting, of Adelaide. Mrs Whiting was widely known in religious circles, and was beloved by all with whom she came in contact. The funeral, which was of a private character, took place on Saturday afternoon.


Margaret Melvin (c. 1823 – 8 December 1906) married John Beeby in 1852


Another sister, Jessie Melvin (c. 1821 – 21 August 1908) was eldest child, married George Duke in 1866 There died on August 21, at the age of 87, the relict of the late Mr. George Duke, who was manager of the bookbinding department of the Government Printing Office. Deceased was the eldest child of the late Rev. David Melvin, Prison Chaplain and City Missionary in Edinburgh. She arrived in Adelaide in 1850 by the barque Young England, from Leith, with her mother and her then single sisters, the late Mrs. John Beeby and Mrs. James Whiting, mother of the Acting Agent General. The deceased was also accompanied by one brother, Mr. W. Melvin, now of Collie (W.A.). Deceased was a foundation member of the Flinders Street Baptist Church. She has, however, been latterly connected with the Parkside Baptist Church, of which she was a member from its establishment. Though not so prominent in religious and philanthropic institutions as her sisters, she was widely known. Lately, with the weight of years, she has lived a rather retired life. A second brother survives Mrs Duke, Mr D. W. Melvin, a well-known auctioneer and valuator, while a third, named after his father, has not been heard of or from for over 50 years,[2]

  • A brother William Melvin (c. 1836 – 8 October 1910)[8] married Martha in 1864, then left for Western Australia, in 1908 living at Collie, Western Australia.[2]
  • Eldest brother David, who may have arrived separately,[2] and of whom nothing was heard for over 50 years,[2] not the David Melvin of Ballarat and Melbourne, whose family came from Alloa, Scotland.

References

  1. ^ a b c "Family Notices". South Australian Register. Vol. XXV, no. 4716. South Australia. 27 November 1861. p. 2. Retrieved 8 March 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Mrs George Duke". The Observer (Adelaide). Vol. LXV, no. 3, 491. South Australia. 29 August 1908. p. 40. Retrieved 8 March 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. ^ "Family Notices". The Express And Telegraph. Vol. IX, no. 2, 606. South Australia. 8 July 1872. p. 2. Retrieved 8 March 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. ^ "Personal". The Observer (Adelaide). Vol. LXIII, no. 3, 398. South Australia. 17 November 1906. p. 32. Retrieved 8 March 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ^ "Mr D. W. Melvin". The Observer (Adelaide). Vol. LXXIII, no. 5, 605. South Australia. 5 August 1916. p. 32. Retrieved 7 March 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ^ "The Late Mrs D. W. Melvin". The Express And Telegraph. Vol. XXXIII, no. 9, 652. South Australia. 10 January 1896. p. 4. Retrieved 8 March 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ^ "Her Eightieth Birthday". The Evening Journal (Adelaide). Vol. XL, no. 11151. South Australia. 13 November 1906. p. 1. Retrieved 8 March 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. ^ "Family Notices". The Advertiser (Adelaide). Vol. LIII, no. 16, 222. South Australia. 13 October 1910. p. 6. Retrieved 8 March 2024 – via National Library of Australia.